The conflict between accountability and confidentiality in Medicare's access to psychiatrists' notes

Paul Jewell

doi:10.3109/10398562.2011.610460

The conflict between accountability and confidentiality in Medicare's access to psychiatrists' notes

Paul Jewell

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: The aims of this paper were to identify a conflict between psychiatrists' obligations regarding patient confidentiality and Medicare's auditing procedures, and to examine potential resolutions to the conflict. Conclusion: While it is reasonable for Medicare, as a taxpayer-funded instrumentality, to require documentary evidence to substantiate and justify claims, such a requirement constitutes a significant breach of patient confidentiality. Obtaining patient consent appears to be the only ethical resolution of the issue.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	489-492
Number of pages	4
Journal	Australasian Psychiatry
Volume	19
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3109/10398562.2011.610460
Publication status	Published - Dec 2011

Keywords

Confidentiality
Ethics
Medicare, psychiatry

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